Jim Kenney With Slight Lead in AFSCME Poll of Mayor’s Race

New Poll: Jim Kenney Continues To Have Slight Lead in Democratic Primary Race
As the Philadelphia Democratic primary election enters its final month, a new poll commissioned by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), finds that Jim Kenney, Anthony Hardy Williams, and Lynne Abraham are still locked in a tight three-way race.
Jim Kenney (26 percent) holds a slim 1-point lead over Anthony Hardy Williams (25 percent) and a 4-point advantage over Lynne Abraham (22 percent), with nearly 1-in-5 likely Democratic primary voters still undecided (18 percent).
The poll, conducted by GBA Strategies which surveys 587 likely Democratic primary voters, also finds that Philadelphia voters embrace economic priorities focused squarely on wages and increased opportunity for those struggling to get by in an economy that rewards big corporations and the wealthy at the expense of workers and the middle class.

One of the greatest variables in this year’s mayoral race will be turnout. Kenney leads by a wide margin (37 to 23 percent) among voters who consistently vote in city elections and can be counted on to vote, even in a low turnout scenario. Williams, on the other hand, relies on less consistent voters to bolster his standing, putting a large organizational burden on him that is particularly noteworthy given the support for Kenney among most labor unions and some key African American ward leaders.